There are certain conditions (fragile x, for example) which have a hereditary component, where autism will occur quite frequently in those with the condition. I don't think there are any clear cut answer on whether it's hereditary or if other environmental factors (infections, toxic chemical exposure, vaccines, etc.) are "causes." Why don't you look at websites such as www.autism-society.org, www.nichy.org or others you find if you search for autism support organizations.As with most things, I don't think the professionals have all the answers. They probably don't even have all the questions...There are plenty of frum families who'd speak with you to try to clarify and share with you what they know...Hatzlacha..

can you be a little more spicific as to the extent of your research? I am interested particularly if it is heredity through siblings, are siblings of an autistic child more prone to having an autistic child than one that does not have an autistic sibling?

Yes siblings are more prone to having autism as opposed to families with no history of autism although it is not a large percetage. Sometimes the siblings may have a slight slight autism issue like social issue or speech issue.

i am a bit confused, you first said that autism is not hereditary based on your research and then you said that siblings are more prone to having autism. seems to me that if it is not a hereditary issue why are siblings more prone to autism? and my original questions was, are the siblings, that don't have autism, are they more likely to have an autistic child than anyone else is? thanks for your info.

Hi! I know its a bit confusing since for years there is research being done to find the cause of autism. Until this day it is unknown, some saying its mercury, enviornmental causes, hereditary, allergies... But noone came up with a positive answer. It sounds funny but even though most researchers say its not hereditary, there is probably in some cases some genetic something and very very very rarely are siblings affected by it. Siblings that are not affected dont have a chance of having an autistic child more then anyone else. There were cases where children under three were found to be highly allergic to certain foods like dairy and wheat and the reaction came out to act autistic. When they were off the diet they acting normal. Other kids were found to have a lot of lead in the body and are being treated for toxin thruogh a dan doctor by taking tons of all kinds of vitamins and minerals. There were no major results show yet there although one child did die from the treatment. Others come from of family of very limited parents and unfortunely looks like its someway genetic there. Other children come from a smart intelegent family with no history what so ever and no known cause there either-with all kinds of testing there. I know its really complicated but hopefully one day a common casue will be discovered! Hatzlacha rabah!!!

sorry but thats proven NOT to be true! babies are still born and diagnosed with autism and they took out the mercury in the shots a few years ago. Its just coincidental that the shots happen the same time as austism-autism usually comes out at that age. Again it's NOT NOT caused by shots!!!!

It has not yet been 100% proven if shots play a role in autism. However, there are many children with autism who did not have the shots!I know of a specific family that had one child on the autistic spectrum, she chose not to vaccinate her other children. A younger son was later diagnosed with autism at the age of three --- no vaccinations. Obviously, in this case, genetics or environmental factors play a role- nothing to do with vaccines.

Background: The US is in the midst of an epidemic of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs). Thimerosal is an ethylmercury-containing compound added to some childhood vaccines. Several previous epidemiological studies conducted in the US have associated Thimerosal-containing vaccine (TCV) administration with NDs. Material/Methods: An ecological study was undertaken to evaluate NDs reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) from 1991 through 2004 by date of receipt and by date of vaccine administration. The NDs examined included autism, mental retardation, and speech disorders. Statistical trend analysis was employed to evaluate the effects of removal of Thimerosal on the proportion of NDs reported to VAERS. Results: There was a peak in the proportion of ND reports received by VAERS in 2001-2002 and in the proportion of ND reports by date of vaccine administration in 1998. There were significant reductions in the proportion of NDs reported to VAERS as Thimerosal was begun to be removed from childhood vaccines in the US from mid-1999 onwards. Conclusions: The present study provides the first epidemiological evidence showing that as Thimerosal was removed from childhood vaccines, the number of NDs has decreased in the US. The analysis techniques utilized attempted to minimize chance or bias/confounding. Additional research should be conducted to further evaluate the relationship between TCVs and NDs. This is especially true because the handling of vaccine safety data from the National Immunization Program of the CDC has been called into question by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 2005.

sorry u are brainwashed-girshinl. i know people that didnt vaccine and autism came out when they were ages 1-2!. One mother was against vaccines and her kid got a bad virus and since hten hes autistic.

Dear ALWAYSBEHAPPY,May G-D always bless you and protect you. May you, your children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren know only happyness and health, and become tsadikim, chasidim, lamdanim and yorea shamaim.My dear ALWAYSBEHAPPY, before giving vaccines to my son, I took a day off from my hospital and went to speak to my son's pediatrician. I have heard many complaints from parents that vaccines caused Autism. I asked pediatrician if MMR could cause Autism. He answered: " Other vaccines are suspected". It was in 2001 and IOM isued a statement that it was "scientifically plausable" ( causation was not found in 2004), but did not usue an immediate recall of mecrury containing vaccines. Doctor also added that it might be genetic. My wife is Sefardy and I'm Ashkenaz, so I was not worried. Next day after MMR my son had 105 fever, lethargic, refused breastfeading and had ataxia for 5 days. I remember praying by my son's crib: " Hashem please don't make my son Autistic". He was diagnosed in 2003 with PDD.My dearest ALWAYSBEHAPPY, may you always find faivor in HASHEM'S eyes.Please take a look:http://www.chem.cmu.edu/wakefield/

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- U.S. researchers said Monday that they had identified a genetic mutation that raises the risk of autism and could also explain some of the other symptoms seen in children with autism.

Although autism and similar disorders can clearly run in families, theirs is the first study to find a definitive genetic link to the disorder, which affects as many as 1 in 175 U.S. children.

Dr. Pat Levitt and colleagues at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, studied 743 families in which 1,200 family members were affected by autism spectrum disorders, which range from fully disabling autism to Asperger's syndrome.

They found a single mutation in a gene called MET, which is known to be involved in brain development, regulation of the immune system and repair of the gastrointestinal system. All of these systems can be affected in children with autism.

"This is a vulnerability gene," Levitt said in a telephone interview. "There are not genes that actually cause autism. It raises the risk."

People with two copies of the mutated gene have 2 to 2.5 times the normal risk of autism and people with one mutated copy have 1.7 times the risk, he said.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offer a way to start looking for the actual causes of autism, Levitt said.

Autism can cause a range of symptoms, from fairly mild social dysfunction to severe and disabling learning and social impairments.

Researchers knew it could run in families, but the cause has been unknown. Autism is usually diagnosed in toddlers, with parents often describing a sudden regression in abilities and behavior. There is no known cure.

Levitt said the mutation does not change the function of the gene, but changes gene expression -- how active the gene is.

Levitt says his team will now try to make a rat or a mouse with the same genetic mutation and use it to study what in the environment might cause autism in people with the mutation.

"It may be more than one thing," Levitt said.

"Let's say it is exposure to some chemical. It is a long list of everything from food additives to mercury to fertilizers. This will help."

Levitt said his study may help answer questions about links between vaccines and autism.

Experts virtually all agree that vaccines do not cause autism but some parents remain mistrustful. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a series of studies into the potential causes of autism.

In a second study, a team at Cornell University and Indiana University-Purdue University found that television viewing may be a factor among American children.

Michael Waldman of Cornell University and colleagues found that children from rainy U.S. counties watch more television and autism rates corresponded with this pattern.

"The analysis shows that early childhood television viewing could be an environmental trigger for the onset of autism and strongly points to the need for more research by experts in the field of autism," said Waldman, who will present his findings on Friday to a conference of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

A third team of researchers found that the brain regions of adults with autism may not communicate with each other as efficiently as they do in other people.

Michael Murias and colleagues at the University of Washington used high-resolution electroencephalography or EEG to find patterns of abnormal connectivity between brain regions in 36 people with autism.

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